Ruth Ben-Ghiat
American historian of fascism and authoritarian leaders; professor of history and Italian studies at New York University; author of Strongmen (2020); publishes the newsletter Lucid.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
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Our reading
Authoritarianism is a system centred on corruption and plunder, with state capture as the means.
Their wordsSo I ask us to consider an updated way of thinking about authoritarianism as a political system centered on processes of corruption and plunder. State capture is the means, but plunder is the end.
↗Strongmen Fall When Corruption is on the Ballotlucid.substack.com 1st of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsAuthoritarianism also about restricting or eliminating the rights of the many and giving vast new liberties to the very few to plunder and exploit the workforce, the environment, female bodies, natural resources, and much more.
↗Strongmen Fall When Corruption is on the Ballotlucid.substack.com 2nd of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsThe task of 21st century resistance is not only to bring down authoritarian political structures, but also undo systems of corruption and exploitation that sustain those structures and move beyond a worldview that sees humans and the natural world as assets to be used and discarded.
↗Strongmen Fall When Corruption is on the Ballotlucid.substack.com 3rd of 3 in this piece
- 5 days earlier
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Their wordsIn the 20th century, the practice of holding elections was often used to determine whether a country could be classified as a democracy. Today, as “electoral autocracies” take hold around the world, that’s no longer the case.
↗The Fascist Idea of Electionslucid.substack.com 1st of 3 in this piece
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Our reading
Many illiberal leaders win power through elections and then rig the system to stay in office.
Their wordsMany illiberal leaders come to power through elections and then manipulate the electoral system to get the results they need to stay in office.
↗The Fascist Idea of Electionslucid.substack.com 2nd of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsKeeping elections going covers their despotism with a veneer of freedom, which is useful for getting foreign loans
↗The Fascist Idea of Electionslucid.substack.com 3rd of 3 in this piece
- 8 days earlier
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Their wordsUsing such “trial balloons” to radicalize Americans, inculcating hatred and an appetite for violence, has been a Trump campaign and governance strategy.
↗Trump’s Use of Violent Speech and Spectacles Echoes the Autocrat’s Playbooklucid.substack.com